A study conducted by a palliative care nurse many years ago found that when patients looked back upon their lives, there were some common themes as to what regrets they had or things they would have done differently if they had their time over again.
The most common regret was “I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” A close second related to them missing time spent with their partner and children because they were so focused on work. And thirdly, they regretted not having the courage to express their feelings honestly and fully.
The thing is, most people regret the things they didn’t do and not the things they did do.
So, if you were to imagine yourself living to a ripe old age and looking back at your life, is there anything you think you’d regret?
Are there things you’d wish you had done, people you spent time with, a life you wanted to lead, a person you wanted to be? Well, rather than sitting back and waiting for all of those regrets, use that information now and make the changes you need to make today. Do what you would love to do. Spend time with the people you’d love to spend time with. Create that life that you would love to live. And be that person you would love to be.
